Beauty Player of the Central Division Semifinals - Erik Gustafsson

The Graced By Rain “Beauty Player of the Series”  for the Central Division Semifinals between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Manitoba Moose has been awarded to defenseman Erik Gustafasson.

​Over the course of four games, Gustafsson notched four points in the form of one goal and three assists. He helped drive the power play with defensive prowess and stealthy passing, which led to tallying two assists on the man-advantage.

After game one, Griffins Head Coach Dan Watson mentioned Grand Rapids needed to execute better along the yellow, the bottom of the boards, if they wanted to succeed against Manitoba. “We kind of talked about it in meetings and stuff like that. We knew we had to play a tougher game,” said Gustafsson. “We know they want to play around the yellow, and they forecheck a lot. Not just one or two guys, but all five of them.” Gustafsson took those meetings to heart and turned up the heat with this board play, providing much-needed back-up to the forwards tied up in lengthy board battles. If Gustafsson was the first one to the corners, he entered with a dramatic flair by snowing the opponent before slamming them into the glass. This allowed Gustafsson, or a teammate, to sneak the puck off the boards before Manitoba could register what was happening.

​Also, the respect Gustafsson has for his defensive partner Antti Tuomisto helped take his game to the next level. “Makes my job so much easier out there. Plays a simple game, goes down and retrieves pucks, talks a lot in our own zone,” said Gustafsson of Tuomisto. “He helps me a lot.”